BRPI0808319A2 - MOBILE COMMUNICATION TERMINAL, INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE, AND PROGRAM - Google Patents

Description

"MOBILE COMMUNICATION TERMINAL, INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE, AND PROGRAM" or, more particularly, the present invention relates to a GUI (Graphical User Interface).

TECHNICAL STATE

The display control technique is known when multiple windows overlap each other as described in JP-A-8-161139. JP-A-8-161139 describes, for example, where at least two windows are shown in a display screen such that the two windows partially overlap one another, replacing a foreground window with one window in the background at certain time intervals, and determine for each window a time frame to display this window in the foreground, depending on the time frame defined for using the window.

Disclosure of the Invention Incidentally, when windows are displayed, a requested window changes depending on where the windows are displayed. For example, applications that are frequently used in the office and those that are frequently used at home may be different, and therefore may be different windows often seen in the office and those often seen at home.

In view of the above condition, the present invention aims to make it possible to change the display of multiple windows depending on the situation of, for example, time and place.

Ways to Solve the Problem

"MOBILE COMMUNICATION TERMINAL" according to the present invention comprises: a sensing means for detecting the location of the mobile communication terminal; an identification means for identifying windows that overlap with another window in a display medium; a storage medium for storing windows and locations associated with windows; a determination means for determining display priority levels for windows identified by the identification means, such that the priority level of a window stored in the storage medium in association with the location detected by the detection means is higher; and a display control means for showing a window, 10 whose priority level set by the means of determination is higher, in front of a window whose priority level set by the means of determination is lower.

In the description, a "location" includes not only a particular point, but also an area that has a certain extent.

"INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE" according to the present invention comprises: a detection means for detecting a time; an identification means for identifying windows overlapping another window 20 in a display medium; a storage medium for storing windows and the time periods associated with windows; a means of determination for determining display priority levels for windows identified by the means of identification, such that a priority level of a window stored in storage medium 25 in association with a time span that includes the time detected by the medium. detection rate is higher; and a display control means for displaying a window whose priority level determined by the means of determination is higher in front of a window whose priority level determined by the means of determination is lower.

In the description, "time" includes not only a clock time, but also date and time, plus a season of the year.

"MOBILE COMMUNICATION TERMINAL, DEVICE

"According to the present invention may comprise a specification means for specifying a window, and if the window specified by the specification means is included in the identified windows, the display control means may display the window in up.

Alternatively, the mobile communication terminal or information processing device according to the present invention may comprise a specification means for specifying a window, and if a window specified by the specification means is included in the identified windows. , the means of determination can determine display priority levels for windows except the specified window.

The mobile communication terminal (or information processing device) according to the present invention may comprise a history storage means for storing, for each window displayed by the display means, a display frequency and a space. display time and display time stored for each location (or each time slot), and if there are 25 multiple windows that are stored in the storage medium in association with the location detected by the medium (or a timeframe that includes the time detected by the detection means), the determination means may set a higher priority level for a window between multiple windows whose frequency or time space is stored in the storage medium. history in association with location (or time frame) is greater.

"PROGRAM" according to the present invention which causes the computer to perform the steps of: detecting a location of the mobile communication terminal; identify windows that overlap another window in a display medium; identify a window with respect to a storage medium for storing windows and the locations associated with windows, the window being stored in association with the detected location, and determining window display priority levels such that a priority level of the identified window is the tallest; and display the window with the highest priority level in front of a window with the lowest priority level.

"PROGRAM" according to the present invention which

makes a computer perform the steps of: detecting a time; identify windows that overlap another window in a display medium; determine display priority levels for windows identified with respect to a storage medium for storing windows and the time frames associated with windows, so that a priority level of a window stored in association with a time frame that includes time detected to be higher; and display the window with the highest priority level in front of a window with the lowest priority level.

Effects of the Invention

In accordance with the present invention "MOBILE COMMUNICATION TERMINAL, INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE, AND PROGRAM", a display control is performed such that a window associated with a detected location or time is preferably displayed above. Consequently, if multiple windows overlap each other, the display of multiple windows may change depending on a time or place.

Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the

configuration of a mobile communication terminal which is the first embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a diagram showing a logical configuration of a mobile communication terminal.

Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating attribute data of

location.

Figure 4 is a view illustrating a location attribute data frame format.

Figure 5 is a diagram showing condition data.

Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an operation

performed by a mobile communication terminal.

Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating the display of windows.

Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating the display of windows.

Figure 9 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a mobile communication terminal which is the second embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 10 is a diagram showing condition data.

Figure 11 is a flow chart showing an operation performed by a mobile communication terminal.

Figure 12 is a diagram illustrating the display of

windows

Figure 13 is a diagram illustrating a modified version of condition data. Figure 14 is a diagram depicting the control for determining a priority.

Figure 15 is a diagram illustrating the display of

windows

Figure 16 is a diagram illustrating the display of

windows

Description of Symbols

10, 20 - Mobile Communication Terminal, 11, 21 - Control Unit, 12, 22 - Wireless Communication Unit, 13, 23 --- Operation Unit, 14, 24 - Display Unit, 15 - Receiving Unit GPS, 16 - Electronic Identification Unit, 25 - Time Recording Unit.

Preferred Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(First Mode)

Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a mobile communication terminal, which is the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the drawing, the mobile communication terminal 10 includes the control unit 11, the wireless communication unit 12, the operation unit 13, the display unit 14, the GPS receiving unit 15, and the In the present embodiment, the mobile communication terminal is a mobile telephone.

Control unit 11 includes the CPU.

Processing) 11a, ROM (Read Only Memory) 11b, RAM (Random Access Memory) 11c, and EEPROM (Electronically Erasable and Programmable ROM). CPU Ila executes a program stored in ROM Ilb or EEPROM Ild using RAM Ila as a work area, thereby controlling the operation of mobile communication terminal components 10. Wireless communication unit 12 includes antenna 12a , and performs wireless data communication with a predetermined mobile communication network. Operation unit 13 includes operation keys such as buttons, and provides an operation signal to control unit 11 that corresponds to a user operation. The display unit 14 includes a liquid crystal display and a liquid crystal driver circuit, and displays an image corresponding to 10 display data provided by the control unit 11. The GPS receiving unit 15 includes the antenna 15a, and receives a radio signal (hereafter referred to as a "GPS signal") transmitted from the so-called Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites. The electronic identification unit 16 includes an electronic identification 15, such as an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) identification, and performs a so-called electronic payment function of making payments used for pre-stored data information. The electronic payment function is performed by communicating by the mobile communication terminal 10 with a predetermined reader / writer located at a station or commercial establishment that is accessed by the mobile communication terminal.

Ilb ROM pre-stores some programs. The programs are hereinafter referred to as "preinstalled programs". The 25 preinstalled programs are specifically a multitasking operating system (hereinafter referred to as "OS multitasking"), a Java (Trademark) platform, and native applications. Multitasking OS is an operating system that supports functions such as allocation of virtual memory spaces, which are required to perform a pseudo parallel execution of multiple tasks using a shared time system (TSS). The Java platform is a package of programs that are designed according to the Connected Devices Configuration (CDC), which is the configuration for providing the Java 114 runtime environment (described later) on the mobile communication terminal 10 with a multitasking OS . Native applications are programs for providing the mobile communication terminal with 10 basic functions such as voice communication and positioning, and include an application for receiving a positioning service (positioning application 112 described later) and an application for performing the payment function. electronic (electronic payment application 113 described later).

EEPROM Ild has a Java application storage area for storing Java applications. A Java application consists of: a Java archive (JAR) file that includes an entity program that describes a procedure that runs under a Java execution environment, as well as image files and audio files used when the entity program runs; and an Application Descriptor File (ADF) in which the JAR file installation and execution information and the JAR file attribute information are described. A Java application is created by a content provider or carrier and stored on an external server, and, in response to a request from the mobile communication terminal 10, is sent from the external server to the device.

Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating a logical configuration of units provided on a communication mobile terminal controller 11 by executing programs stored in ROM Ilb and EEPROM lld. As shown in the drawing, provided in OS 111 of the mobile communication terminal 10 running the programs, positioning application 112, electronic payment application 113, and Java execution environment 114. In EEPROM lld, they are protected at 5 first memory 112 and second memory 116. Positioning application 112 and electronic payment application 113 are realized by native applications stored in ROM 11b.

Positioning application 112 performs the function of identifying the location of the mobile communication terminal based on a GPS signal received by the GPS receiving unit 15. When an operation using positioning application 112 is performed, a location information. Location information is information indicating a terminal location determined using positioning application 112. Location information represents a terminal location expressed through latitude and longitude.

Electronic payment application 113 performs the aforementioned electronic payment function based on a result of communication by the electronic identification unit. When an operation using electronic payment application 113 is performed, data representing monetary values (hereinafter referred to as "electronic value") stored in electronic identification unit 16 is overwritten. Electronic payment application 113, as directed by a reader / writer, rewrites the data to reduce an electronic value when goods or services are purchased, and when an electronic value is loaded, rewrites the data to increase the electronic value. .

Electronic payment application 113 is also capable of obtaining data that represents the location of a reader / writer when communicating with the reader / writer. These data represent the information indicating the terminal location (on a payment occasion), and the same location information as above.

Accordingly, the information obtained by the electronic payment application 13 is hereinafter included in the "location information".

The Java runtime 114 is provided by running the Java platform stored in ROM 11b. The environment of

Java execution 114 includes class library 117, Java Virtual Machine (JVM) 118, and Java Application Administrator (JAM) 119. Class library 117 is a collection of program modules (classes) that provide a given function. . JVM 118 is an improved Java execution environment for the above-mentioned CDC, and has the function of interpreting and executing byte code provided as a Java application. JAM 119 has the function of managing the loading, installation, execution, or termination of a Java application.

The first memory 115 is a memory for storing

Java applications (JAR files and ADFs) downloaded under JAM 119 control. The second memory 116 is a memory for storing data that is generated while a Java application is running after the application is terminated. A memory area of second memory 25 116 is assigned to each of the installed Java applications. Data from a designated memory area for a Java application can be overwritten during the execution of the Java application, and cannot be overwritten during the execution of another Java application. EEPROM Ild stores, in addition to the above data, location attribute data and condition data. Location attribute data is data that represents a location and an attribute associated with the location. Condition data is data that represents a condition for determining a window priority order with respect to an application running on mobile communication terminal 10, which performs window display by display unit 14.

Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating location attribute data according to the present embodiment. As shown in the drawing, location attribute data is data that describes a "location" and an "attribute" associated with each other. A "location" is data representing a particular area, which may include multiple locations represented by location information. An area can be expressed by describing the location information that defines the boundary of an area, or by describing the location information included in the area. An "attribute" is data that represents an attribute associated with an area specified by a "location". An attribute can be any data as long as the data is capable of making each area identifiable.

Figure 4 shows location attribute data from Figure 3 shown as a real map. The example in Figure 4 shows railways that extend in four directions from station A, with station B located northwest (upper left) of station A. The example also shows that there is a business district around station A and Station B, a user's office is located next to Station A, and a user's home is near Station B. Location attribute data may be provided in advance by a mobile communication terminal manufacturer. or a distributor operating a mobile communication network; however, the distinct location attribute for each user, such as the user's home or office, may be defined by a user at their own discretion, preferably. Additionally, with respect to setting an "attribute", categories may be increased or decreased by the user, preferably.

Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating condition data of

according to the present embodiment. As shown in the drawing, condition data is data that describes an "application name", an "application attribute", and a "display frequency" in mutual association. An "application name" is given to identify an application. "Application attribute" is data that represents a "attribute" of location attribute data to which an application is assigned. For example, a "groupware" application in Figure 5 has an "Office" attribute. "Display frequency" is data that represents how often an application runs. In 20 other words, "display frequency" is data that represents the frequency with which the application window is displayed.

From now on, applications included in the condition data shown in Figure 5 will be briefly described. 25 "Groupware" is an application that performs information sharing between office users. Groupware includes a function for displaying a program for each user and a function for displaying a so-called business-related bulletin board. An "electronic ticket" is an application for making a mobile communication terminal 10 function as a train ticket, and it carries an electronic value and charges that electronic value loaded on a ticket turnstile using the electronic identification unit 16. An " e-ticket "has the function of 5 showing the remaining electronic value and the amount from which the electronic ticket was debited. A "transfer guide" is an app for displaying a train route and providing guidance from the departure station to a destination station. An "online game" is an application for running a game using communication over a mobile communication network. A "GPS Navigation" is an application for displaying the route from a user's current location (ie, mobile communication terminal 10) to a destination such as a business establishment that employs a GPS signal, guiding , as a result, the user.

An "application attribute" is data that represents the

location where an app is used frequently. As a result, the example in Figure 5 shows that "groupware" is an application often used in an office. Also, as in the case of an "online game" in Figure 5, 20 multiple application attributes can be assigned to a single application. The example in Figure 5 shows that an "online game" is often used not only at home but also on a train journey (in other words, the time spent on daily trips).

The foregoing is a description of a mobile communication terminal configuration 10. With the configuration, mobile communication terminal 10 runs multiple applications according to the user's request. When an application is run, the control unit 11 of the mobile communication terminal 10 also functions as a means of determining the frequency of use of the application, which is configured to update a "display frequency" of condition data.

When running multiple applications, the mobile communication terminal 10 is capable of displaying multiple windows, each corresponding to one of multiple applications. In so doing, the mobile communication terminal 10 displays windows in a so-called overlapping window system. Consequently, the mobile communication terminal 10 is capable of changing a display position of a window or displaying multiple windows in a stack. For this purpose, the control unit 11 of the mobile communication terminal 10 stores data in multiple window display positions (hereinafter referred to as "window data"), and if one of the windows is moved, updates the stored data. When overlapping windows occur, the mobile communication terminal 10 displays a window that has become the most recently active one (a status receptive to an operation). As a result, a window displayed above is a currently active window.

In the present embodiment, a "window" means a display area designated for each application when application 20 provides a particular function. A display area can have any shape or appearance; thus, the display area does not need to be windowed (rectangular). However, in the drawings referred to in the following description, windows are represented in rectangular format for convenience of explanation. When a window is displayed on top of another window, only the top window is visible, with the display area of the other window covered by the top window not being visible. In the following description, "behind" is used to describe the position of the window whose part is covered by another "top" window. According to the present embodiment, the mobile communication terminal 10, upon overlapping windows, determines which window should be displayed above, based on the location of the terminal. To do so, the mobile communication terminal 10 performs an operation described below.

Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an operation performed by the control unit 11 of the mobile communication terminal 10. The operation is performed as a multitasking OS and is performed at predetermined intervals. As shown in drawing 10, the control unit initially obtains location information for detecting the terminal location (step Sal). By doing so, control unit 11 can obtain location information by using a positioning application function 112 or employing an electronic payment application function 113. 15 Next, control unit 11 identifies the attribute of a location. terminal based on the detected location (step Sa2). In so doing, the control unit 11 identifies the attribute assigned to an area that includes the location information obtained with respect to the location attribute data.

Subsequently, control unit 11 recognizes the

condition where windows are displayed on display unit 14 to identify overlapping windows (step Sa3). In so doing, the control unit 11 determines the presence of overlap based on stored window data. In addition, control unit 11 identifies each window that obscures another window, as well as identifies a window obscured by another window as an overlapping window. That is, if there are overlapping windows, the control unit 11 identifies each top window and each bottom window as an overlay window. This applies to the case where three or more windows overlap each other in a given area.

Control unit 11 then determines if there is an overlapping window when determining if there is a window identified in step Sa3 (step Sa4). If it is determined that an overlay window is displayed (step Sa4: YES), control unit 11 identifies an application that corresponds to the identified window to identify an attribute associated with the application (step Sa5). In so doing, control unit 11 refers to condition data for retrieving an "application attribute" from an application that corresponds to the identified window, thereby identifying an attribute. Control unit 11 identifies an attribute with respect to all overlapping windows. It should be noted that as long as a window corresponds to a given application, an attribute associated with an application can be said to be an attribute associated with a corresponding window.

After identifying an attribute with respect to each overlapping window, the control unit 11 determines whether there is a window whose attribute is identical to that of a terminal location (ie the attribute identified in step Sa2) (step Sa6). If such a window 20 exists (step Sa6: YES), control unit 11 determines if there are multiple windows whose attribute is identical to that of a terminal location (step Sa7). If multiple windows occur whose attribute is identical to that of a terminal location (step Sa7: YES), control unit 11 identifies a window whose display frequency is the highest 25 among multiple windows (step Sa8). In so doing, the control unit 11 refers to condition data for retrieving a "display frequency" from an application that has the identified attribute, thereby identifying the window whose display frequency is the highest. If there is a single window whose attribute is identical to that of a communication mobile terminal location (step Sa7: NO), control unit 11 skips the operation of step Sa8 and proceeds to a subsequent operation.

Control unit 11 then determines whether an object window is displayed behind another window (step Sa9). The object window is the window identified in step Sa8, or if there is only one window whose attribute is identical to that of the terminal location, that window is the object window. Control unit 11 specifies one of the windows as a window object of step Sa9. Control unit 11, if an object window is displayed behind another window (step Sa9: YES), changes the window display order so that the window is displayed above, and outputs the corresponding display data (step Sa 10).

It should be noted that if the determination in step Sa4, Sa6, or Sa9 is negative (ie NO), control unit 11 terminates the operation without changing the display order of the windows. This is because in such a case, a window is displayed above when it should be displayed above.

From now on, the above operation will be described with reference to a concrete example of window display. In the example, location attribute data and condition data are as shown in Figures 3 through 5. In addition, a groupware window is referred to as "wl", and similarly a ticket window Electronic, a transfer guide, an online game, and a GPS navigation are referred to as "w2", "w3", "w4", and "w5" respectively.

For example, it is assumed that a groupware, an e-ticket, and a transfer guide are executed, and their windows are displayed as shown in Figure 7 (a). (In the drawing, the full screen of display unit 14 is indicated by hatches). In this case, if the user is an office, the display of display unit 14 shown in Figure 7 (a) is maintained. This is because the wl window of a groupware has the "office" attribute.

5 With the display maintained, if the user moves to the

station A, the display of display unit 14 is changed so that the screen shown in Figure 7 (b) is shown. That is, the control unit 11 displays an electronic ticket window w2 above immediately after the terminal passes a ticket turnstile 10 which has a "station" attribute. Control unit 11 makes the change immediately after the terminal goes through a ticket ratchet if location information is obtained using the electronic payment application function 113.

If the user passes station ticket ratchet A and takes a train, the display of display unit 14 is changed so that the screen shown in Figure 7 (c) is displayed. That is, control unit 11 displays the transfer guide window w3 above having a "line path" attribute.

It is then assumed that a transfer guide, an online game, and a GPS navigation are performed, with their windows displayed as shown in Figure 8 (a). In this case, if the user is in a business district the display unit display shown in Figure 8 (a) is maintained so that the w5 window of a GPS navigator is displayed above. Even if the user moves from the business district to station A, the display of display unit 14 does not change because no application that has the "station" attribute is currently running (see step Sa6 in Figure 6). Then, if the user passes a ticket ratchet from station A (without using an electronic ticket) and takes a train, the display of display unit 14 is changed so that a screen shown in Figure 8 (b) is displayed. . That is, the control unit 5 11 displays the w4 window of an online game which has the "train route" attribute on it. It should be noted that the transfer guide window w3 also has a "train route" attribute; however, since a transfer guide's display frequency is lower than that of an online game, a transfer guide's w3 window is not displayed above (see steps Sa7 and Sa8 in Figure 6) .

The mobile communication terminal 10 according to the present embodiment, by repeatedly performing the above operation, changes a window display in response to a change of terminal location, even if the user does not perform any operation. Specifically, the mobile communication terminal 10 displays the total area of a window that is likely to be viewed, depending on a terminal position condition, thereby allowing a user to perform the subsequent operation quickly. Operation has a significant effect especially when multitasking is used to perform operations on a device as small as a mobile communication terminal, which has limitations on the operation keys and screen size.

According to the present embodiment, if there are windows having an identical attribute overlapping each other, and if the mobile communication terminal 10 moves to a location having that attribute, the terminal also displays above the window whose Display frequency is the highest. Accordingly, preferably the mobile communication terminal 10 is capable of displaying above the entire area of a window that is likely to be seen.

(Second Modality)

Figure 9 is a block diagram showing the complete configuration of a mobile communication terminal which is the second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the drawing, the mobile communication terminal 20 includes the control unit 21, the wireless communication unit 22, the operation unit 23, the display unit 24, and the 10 time recording unit 25. The unit Control 21 includes CPU 21a, ROM 21b, RAM 21c, and EEPROM 21d. Wireless communication unit 22 includes antenna 22a. The settings of control unit 21, wireless communication unit 22, operation unit 23, and display unit 24 are similar to those of control unit 11, communication unit 12, operation unit 13, and display unit 14. of the first embodiment respectively; consequently, the description of the units was omitted. However, programs and data stored in control unit 21 are partially different from those stored in control unit 11. For example, control unit 21 need not be able to execute the aforementioned positioning application 112 or application 13. In addition, control unit 21 need not store location attribute data. Time recording unit 25 includes an internal clock, which provides control unit 25 with time data representing a current time. Time recording unit 25 records time even when mobile communication terminal 20 is off. To detect a current time, the control unit 21 may obtain time data from time stamp unit 25, when necessary, or obtain time data from time stamp unit when the terminal is powered on, and internally update the time obtained. .

Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating condition data according to the present embodiment. As shown in the drawing, condition data is data that describes an "application name", a "pertinent time zone", and a "display frequency" in mutual association. An "application name" is data to identify an application. A "relevant time zone" is data that represents a time zone associated with an application, which represents, for example, a time zone from 07:00 to 09:30. A "display frequency" is data that represents a frequency with which an application was run. In other words, "display frequency" is data that represents a frequency with which a window that corresponds to the application is displayed.

From now on, applications included in the condition data shown in Figure 10 will be briefly described. A "groupware" is an application similar to the groupware that appears in the first embodiment. A "news logger" is an application that

continuously retrieve news through a mobile communication network, and display the news in sequence. A "web browser" is an application that obtains a web page from the Internet through a mobile communication network, and displays the page.

In Figure 10, a "pertinent time zone" is associated with a user's daily action. The example in Figure 10 shows that the time zone from 07h00min to 09h30min is for a user the amount of time that usually precedes work, that the user often works in an office from 09h31min to 18h30min, and that the user usually spends his time. freely after work.

What is mentioned above is a description of a configuration of the mobile communication terminal 20. With the configuration, the mobile communication terminal 20 runs multiple applications at the request of a user. The operation of the mobile communication terminal 20 is similar to that of the mobile communication terminal 10, according to the first embodiment, except for a control to change a window above, the overlap description being omitted.

The mobile communication terminal 20, according to the present embodiment, upon overlapping windows, determines that a window is displayed above based on time. To do so, the mobile communication terminal 20 performs an operation described below.

Figure 11 is a flowchart showing an operation performed by control unit 21. In the following description, the step-related description for conducting an operation similar to that of a step appearing in the flowchart shown in Figure 6 will be omitted. In Figure 11, the control unit

21 initially detects a current time based on the current time output of the time stamp unit 25 (step Sbl). Control unit 21 then recognizes the condition that windows on display unit 24 are shown, based on window data 25, to identify overlapping windows (step Sb2). Then control unit 21 determines if there is an overlapping window by determining if there is a window identified in step Sb2 (step Sb3).

If it is determined that an overlapping window is displayed (step Sb3: YES), control unit 21 determines whether a window associated with the identified current time is included in the overlapping windows (step Sb4). In so doing, the control unit 21 refers to the condition data for retrieving a "pertinent time zone 5" from an application that corresponds to the identified window. If the identified current time is included in the "relevant time zone", control unit 21 determines that the application window is a window associated with a current time.

If it is determined that a window associated with a current time overlaps with another window (step Sb4: YES), the control unit 21 determines whether there are multiple windows associated with a current time that overlap another window (step Sb5). If there are multiple windows associated with a running time overlapping another window (step Sb5: YES), control unit 21 identifies a window whose display frequency is the highest among multiple windows (step Sb6). In so doing, the control unit 21 refers to condition data for retrieving a "display frequency" from an application that corresponds to the identified window, thereby identifying a window whose display frequency is the highest. If only a single window associated with the identified current time overlaps with another window (step Sb5: NO), control unit 21 skips the operation of step Sb6 and proceeds to the subsequent operation.

Control unit 21 then determines whether an object window 25 is displayed below another window (step Sb7). An object window is the window identified in step Sb6, or if there is only a single window associated with the current time identified, that window is the object window. Control unit 21 specifies either window as an object window of step Sb7. Control unit 21, if an object window is shown at the bottom of another window (step Sb7: YES), changes the display order so that the window is shown above, and outputs the corresponding display data (step Sb8 ).

5 It should be noted that if the determination in steps Sb3,

If Sb4 or Sb7 is negative (ie NO), control unit 21 terminates the operation without changing the order of the windows. This is because in such a situation, a window is displayed above when it should be displayed above.

From now on, the above operation will be

described by reference to a concrete example of window display. In the example, the condition data is similar to the one shown in Figure 10. In addition, a groupware window is referred to as "w6", and a news logger and web browser windows are referred to as "w7" "and" w8 "respectively. Also, in the example, it is assumed that all windows are displayed, and at least part of each displayed window overlaps with another window.

For example, it is assumed that the mobile communication terminal 20 is switched on at 7:00 am. It is also assumed that at the same time the mobile communication terminal 20 sequentially runs a news log, a web browser, and a groupware, with the application windows displayed as shown in Figure 12 (a). That is, a window that corresponds to a last 25 running application is displayed above. Subsequently, if the control unit 21 performs the operation shown in Figure 11, a display of display unit 24 is changed so that a screen shown in Figure 12 (b) is displayed. That is, the control unit 21 controls the display so that the news recorder window w7 associated with a current time zone is displayed above.

Then, after 9:30 am, a display of display unit 24 is changed so that the screen shown in Figure 12 (c) 5 is displayed. In other words, control unit 21 displays above the w6 window of a groupware associated with a current time zone. Then, after 6 pm, a display of display unit 24 is changed so that the screen shown in Figure 12 (d) is displayed. That is, the control unit 21 displays above the window 10 w9 of a web browser associated with a current time zone.

The mobile communication terminal 20 according to the present embodiment, upon performing the above operation repeatedly, changes the display of windows in response to the change in time, even if the user does not perform any operation. For example, according to the previous case, the user is able to check the news using a news logger before he / she goes to work, look at groupware while working, and browse web pages using a web browser after even if the user does not select a window in advance. As a result, the mobile communication terminal 10 is capable of displaying the total area of a window that is likely to be seen, depending on a terminal time condition, thereby enabling the user to perform a subsequent operation quickly.

Modifications

Obviously, the present invention may be embodied in a different embodiment from the first or second embodiment mentioned above. For example, the present invention may be embodied in embodiments described below. The following modifications can be combined with each other.

(1) Modification 1

In the above-mentioned embodiments, where a "display frequency" of condition data is used as data representing a level of a display priority, a display time period may be used instead of a display frequency. For example, if there are multiple windows whose attribute is identical to that of a terminal location, a mobile communication terminal may preferably show above a window that has been displayed for a longer period of time. Alternatively, a viewing priority may be arbitrarily set by a user without making it dependent on a viewing history such as a frequency or time. If the display time period is used as priority data, a control unit can function as a unit of measurement to measure a display time of each window.

(2) Modification 2

A "display frequency" of condition data 20 may be a value that corresponds to an attribute for a terminal location in which a window is displayed or a time zone in which a window is displayed. For example, in the first embodiment, where "display frequency" is data representing the frequency with which a corresponding application was run, "display frequency 25" could be data representing the frequency with which an application was executed on a location that has an attribute assigned to the application. In other words, in this case "display frequency" is measured data for each application, for each location associated with an attribute identical to that of the application. Figure 13 is a diagram illustrating condition data according to modification. In the condition data shown in the drawing, items other than "frequency display" are similar to those shown in Figure 5.

5 In condition data, "display frequency" is data

described for each attribute of a location where an application window was displayed. Taking an "online game" as an example, the condition data of an online game shows that a home display frequency is "7", a "10 train ride" display frequency is "4", a display frequency for a station is "1", and no windows were displayed in the other locations.

If the configuration described above is employed, the display may be best suited to a terminal condition. For example, a display frequency can be distinguished between an application used at any location and an intensively used application at a particular location.

It should be noted that the "display frequency" of the second embodiment may similarly be a frequency at which an application has run in a time zone associated with the application.

Alternatively, an attribute that corresponds to each application can be determined based on such "display frequency". For example, an attribute whose display frequency is the highest may be specified as an "app attribute" of 25 an app. Specifically, taking as an example the "online game" of Figure 13, a "home" attribute, whose "display frequency" is the highest, is defined with an "application attribute" of the application.

(3) Modification 3 Private application windows may have a fixed priority level that does not depend on the condition data mentioned above. To perform this mode, a control unit may store data by specifying such window in advance, and if such window overlaps with another window, display the window according to a set priority level, regardless of a location or time. If a user wants the particular application window to be displayed above, he / she can set the highest priority level for the application in advance.

If this mode is used, and if there is a window

that may cause a user inconvenience if displayed behind another window, for example a window displaying a highly important message related to a terminal operation, the situation where the window is obscured by another window can be avoided.

The present modification can be said to be a mode in which specified particular application windows are excluded from objects whose priority level is determined. In the present modification, the control unit, occurring multiple windows 20 overlapping each other, including a specified window, determines the priority level for displaying windows other than the specified window. The control unit displays the specified window according to a predetermined priority level, and displays the other windows according to the determined priority levels 25 based on the condition data.

Specifying a window can be defined by a

user.

(4) Modification 4 In the above embodiments, a control unit is configured to determine that only one window is displayed above, and a display order for the other windows is not specifically mentioned. However, a control unit can determine a priority level for each of the overlapping windows based on the above condition data, and display the windows so that a higher priority level window is shown in front of a window. lower priority level. With the setting employed, if a desired window is not displayed above, the user is able to view the window with few operations. Operations in this context may include closing a top window and minimizing a top window.

In the embodiment, a control unit may determine a priority level based on an attribute or terminal location and condition data, or determine a priority level based on a current time and condition data. Hereinafter, an example of a case where multiple overlapping windows are displayed, including multiple windows having an attribute identical to a terminal location attribute, and multiple windows having an attribute not identical to an attribute will be described. of a terminal location.

The windows wa, wb, wc, wd, we, and wf are assumed to be displayed for multiple applications, so that windows overlap each other as shown in Figure 14. In addition, it is assumed that Attributes assigned to windows wa, wb, and wc are identical to the attribute of a terminal location, and attributes assigned to windows wd, we, and wf are not identical to an attribute of a terminal location. In this case, a control unit initially assigns a priority level to windows wa, wb, and wc that have an attribute identical to the attribute of a terminal location, which is higher than that of windows wd, we, and wf. The control unit then determines a priority level for each of the 5 windows wa, wb, and wc based on the level of a display frequency, and determines a priority level for each of the windows wd, we, and wf based on the level of a display frequency. As a result, priority levels are determined by the control units as shown in Figure 14.

(5) Modification 5

In the aforementioned second embodiment, wherein window display is time-based, window display may be changed daily, monthly, or seasonal. Specifically, a control may be performed such that a business-related application 15 is displayed on weekdays, and an entertainment-related application, such as a game, is displayed on rest days.

(6) Modification 6

In the present invention, the number of windows to be displayed above need not be only one. For example, if windows can be classified into multiple groups, as shown in Figure 15, a control unit may determine that for each group a window is displayed above. A group in this context means a collection of windows included in an area enclosed by a closed outline. In the example shown in Figure 15, the windows are classified into Group I and Group 2. In this case, a control unit may determine that a window is displayed on top of either Group 1 or Group 2. Any of the top windows may be active. In other words, in the present invention, the screen of a display unit may be divided into fixed areas, and for each area a window to be displayed above or the display priority level of a window may be determined.

In addition, in the present invention, if multiple non-overlapping windows occur in addition to the windows being in a certain condition (all windows have the same attribute as the terminal location attribute, or all windows are associated with each other). a running time), a control can be performed such that all windows are displayed above. For example, if, as shown in Figure 6, there are windows wg, wh, wi, and wk not overlapping each other, while they do not overlap window wk; windows wg, wh, wi, and wj each have an attribute identical to the attribute of a terminal location; and the wk window has a different attribute than the terminal location attribute, all windows wg, wh, wi, and wj can be displayed above.

(7) Modification 7

In the above embodiments, a single application is associated with a single window; However, the present invention is not required to apply only such a relationship. For example, in the case of an application that employs a Multiple Document Interface (MDI), multiple windows are displayed for a single application. Accordingly, the present invention may be applied if each window of such an application is capable of being associated with an attribute or a time zone. For example, in an application such as tab browser 25, an attribute may be assigned to each window, and an upper window may be controlled according to a terminal location.

(8) Modification 8 The above embodiments are embodiments in which the present invention is applied to a mobile telephone; however, the present invention may be applied to other mobile communication terminals. For example, the present invention may be applied to a communication gateway terminal such as a PDA (Digital Personal Assistant), or a car navigation system. In addition, the setting for obtaining location information may be changed depending on the configuration of the communication terminal. For example, in the case of the communication terminal which includes a configuration such as an electronic identification unit 16 that is capable of communicating with a reader / writer, the so-called presence information (information that identifies with which reader communication terminal communicated) can be obtained from a reader / writer, and the reader / writer location can be used as terminal location information. Alternatively, in the case of a mobile telephone, the area information (information identifying which base station of the mobile communication network the mobile telephone has communicated) used for a so-called location record may be used as location information. .

In the aforementioned second embodiment, the present invention is applied to a mobile communication terminal; however, the present invention may be applied to non-mobile information processing devices. For example, the invention described in the second embodiment may be applied to a desktop personal computer. If an information processing device has no means to record time, time data may be obtained from an external device. For example, time data may be obtained from a reader / writer, as in the case of the above presence information.

(9) Modification 9

In the above embodiments, the present invention is described as a function of OS; However, the present invention may be performed as a standalone application. Alternatively, a function of the present invention may be added to an existing application such as an OS as a connection. If such an embodiment is employed, the present invention may be provided as a program for providing a computer (a mobile communication terminal or an information processing device) with the aforementioned function. The program can be delivered at the same time as it is stored on a recording medium, such as an optical disc, or delivered from a server over a network such as the Internet.

Claims (8)

1. "MOBILE COMMUNICATION TERMINAL", characterized in that it comprises: a sensing means for detecting a location of the mobile communication terminal; an identifying means for identifying windows that overlap another window in a display; a storage medium for storing windows and locations associated with windows; a determination means for determining display priority levels for windows identified by the means of identification, so that the priority level of a window stored in the storage medium in association with the location detected by the detection means is higher; and a display control means for showing a window whose priority level determined by the means of determination is higher in front of a window whose priority level determined by the means of determination is lower. 2. "MOBILE COMMUNICATION TERMINAL" according to claim 1, comprising a specific means for specifying a window, characterized in that, if a window specified by the specification means is included in the identified windows, the control means for display shows the window above. "MOBILE COMMUNICATION TERMINAL" according to claim 1, comprising a history storage medium for storing for each window displayed by the display medium, a display frequency and a display time period, the frequency of display time and display time period being stored for each location, characterized in that there are multiple windows that are stored in the storage medium, the determination means establishes a priority level of a higher window among the multiple windows whose frequency or period of time stored in the history storage medium in association with the location is higher. 4. "INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE", characterized in that it comprises: a detection means for detecting a time; an identifying means for identifying windows that overlap another window in a display; a storage medium for storing windows and time periods associated with windows; a means of determination for determining display priority levels for windows identified by the means of identification, such that the priority level of a window stored in the storage medium in association with a period of time that includes the time detected by the means of identification. detection is higher; and a display control means for displaying a window whose priority level determined by the means of determination is higher in front of a window whose priority level determined by the means of determination is lower. "INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE" according to claim 4, comprising a means of specifying a window, characterized in that if a window specified by the means of specification is included in the identified windows, the means of Display control shows the window above. 6. "INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE" according to claim 4, comprising a history storage medium for storing for each window displayed by the display medium a display frequency and a display time period, the frequency of display time and display time being stored for each time period, characterized in that there are multiple windows that are stored in the storage medium in association with a time period that includes the time detected by the detection medium, the medium Determination mode sets a storage priority level for each window displayed by the display medium, a display frequency and a display time period, the display frequency and the display time period being stored for each location, characterized by the fact If there are multiple windows that are stored in the storage medium, the Determination establishes a higher priority level of a window among multiple windows whose frequency or time period stored in the history storage medium in association with the time period is highest. 7. "PROGRAM", characterized in that a computer performs the steps of: detecting a location of the mobile communication terminal; identify windows that overlap each other in a display medium; identify a window with reference to a storage medium that stores the windows and locations associated with the windows, the window being stored in association with the detected location, and determine display priority levels for the windows so that the priority level of the window is stored. identified window is higher; and display the window with the highest priority level in front of a window with the lowest priority level. 8. "PROGRAM", characterized in that it makes a computer perform the steps of: detecting a time; identify windows that overlap another window in a display medium; determine display priority levels for windows identified with reference to a storage medium for storing windows and time periods associated with windows, so that the priority level of a window stored in association with a time period that includes the detected time is higher; and display the window with the highest priority level in front of a window with the lowest priority level.